
| by: | Jun 1, 2008 |
Looking for new summer music in all the wrong places? Look no further than Boards' round-up of the best brand-sponsored music Adland has produced in the last six months.
Track One: The Presets "Are You the One? (Lifelike's 1 Serious Remix)" (BMW)
The Story: Before launching BMW's 1 Series in Australia, ad agency D'Arcy approached Modular Recordings to license The Presets' 2005 club banger "Are You the One?" Instead, the label pitched a 'modernized' version in line with the band's current post-industrial sound and tapped Paris-based producer Lifelike to remix.
Where can I get it?: Check your favorite electro house blog. Modular owns the rights and is encouraging fans to share this "gift track" rather than pay for it.
Track Two: Cassius Play "Keep on Running" (Nike+)
The Story: Following in the footsteps of LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy, reclusive French house duo Cassius has created a 45-minute soundtrack for the Nike+ running system. The appropriately-titled breakout single "Keep on Running" has all the elements of inspirational exercise music: a chuggy beat, disco bassline and catchy chorus.
Where Can I Get It?: Stream the single and download the mix via the Nike+ Cassius Play site: http://cassius.running6453.com.
Track Three: Lily Allen, "Mr. Blue Sky" (SFR)
The Story: Last December the British pop singer covered Electric Light Orchestra's uplifting 1977 ditty "Mr. Blue Sky" for French mobile carrier SFR. Initially thought to be a leaked single from her forthcoming sophomore record, the song generated a ton of blog chatter. Much like Allen's debut record Alright, Still, it's bouncy, frivolous fun.
Where Can I Get It?: When you're in Cannes, log on to the French iTunes store and download it for 99 cents.
Track Four: The Raveonettes, "Black/White" (Gap)
The Story: In February, San Francisco-based hybrid shop Rehab unveiled the Sound of Color campaign for Gap, for which five bands wrote songs inspired by color. Danish reverb rockers The Raveonettes interpreted black-and-white in typical twangy fashion, toeing the line between retro surf sleaze and sultry shoegaze.
Where Can I Get It?: The campaign ended in March, so song rights have reverted back to the band. Hit up the MP3 blogosphere or check the Chris Do-directed video on YouTube.

